Prior to joining the graduate school, Dennis spent five years working in the Viral Vector Technologies department at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. At Regeneron, Dennis’ work focused on the rational optimization of mammalian Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) capsids to evade recognition by the human system as a future delivery mechanism for gene therapies. He was also responsible for the development of multiple viral characterization assays and their implementation in an automated workflow. In addition to his industry work, Dennis has previously worked in the lab of Dr. Paul Bieniasz at Rockefeller University. While there, he worked under the mentorship of Dr. Theodora Hatzioannou researching HIV-1 restriction factors and their impact on viral transmission.
Dennis earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a concentration in cell and molecular biology, from Cornell University in 2015. During his undergraduate studies he worked under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Allison in the lab of Dr. Colin Parrish at the Baker Institute. He assisted on a collaborative effort with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to identify and track the capsid mutations in Canine Parvovirus that allowed host species switching in wild animals.
Hometown: Novosibirsk, Russia